Rockland County, NY - Diligent Footwork Led Police To Suspect In Monsey Attacks; Bail Set At $50K

Rockland County, NY - It was solid police work that led the Ramapo Police Department to Adrian Valentin-Polanco, who was arrested today for perpetrating two separate attacks on Orthodox Jewish women in the Monsey area.

As previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2fNb1G3), two women were attacked from behind after emerging from their cars in their own driveways in two separate incidents last week.

A November 1st attack took place on Carmen Court in Chestnut Ridge, while a November 3rd attack took place in on Olympia Lane in Monsey. Similarities between the two incidents had police wondering if they had been perpetrated by the same person.

Sources told VIN News that surveillance footage captured the victim of Thursday night’s attack pulling out of the Monsey Glatt parking lot on Route 59 at approximately 9:30 PM. A second car followed the victim’s car out of the lot immediately afterwards and police searched DMV records for cars of the same make and model registered in Rockland County.

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“They knew what kind of car they were looking for and they also saw in the video that the car had several additional identifying characteristics,” said the source who would not discuss the case unless granted anonymity.

Police combed the county on Saturday, looking for a car that matched the images they saw on the surveillance video. They finally struck pay dirt on Sunday at the Garnerville home of Adrian Valentin-Polanco and waited for the 28 year old to emerge from his house.

Valentin-Polanco turned himself in to the Ramapo Police Department on Monday accompanied by his lawyer.

The Olympia Lane victim told police that her attacker splashed some kind of chemical substance on her face and police recovered a bottle of what appears to be ammonia left behind at the scene. That bottle is currently being analyzed, both to determine its contents and for any possible fingerprints that may tie the suspect to the crime scene.

Lawyers for Valentin-Polanco said earlier in the day that he has no prior arrest, has close ties to the community and is a member of a local church.

“We’re asking that he be released on his own recognizance,” attorney Kenneth Gribetz told CBS News. “He’s a member of the 7th Day Adventist Church. There’ll be two ministers who will vouch for him. He will come back to court and we’ll litigate the matter.”

Valentin-Polanco was arraigned tonight in Ramapo Justice Court, reported News 12, where a judge set bail at $50,000. He is due back in court on Thursday and could face up to seven years in prison if convicted in the attacks on the two women, one of whom is just 16 years old.